A (BIG!) thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ms. Thomas for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

WOW. Just when I think Ms. Thomas can't outdo her last book.

This was the locked-room isolated-at-sea Agatha Christie-esque mystery of my dreams. I am a humongous fan of the Charlotte Holmes series and this latest installment is concrete proof of its absolute awesomeness. No one does it quite like Sherri Thomas. Charlotte Holmes, aka Sherlock, is on a mission to retrieve a dossier for Lord Remington with protection from Moriarty as the prize. Of course, it being Charlotte, a murder is promptly committed on board (out to sea, mind you, not at the docks where people can hop on and off the ship). And of course, it being Charlotte, Charlotte is undercover as the elderly Mrs. Ramsay (complete with full-face [practically prosthenic] makeup) and must remain in character the entire time.

The book is a proverbial reunion of past stories' characters, including some we love and some we love to hate. Lord Ingram is also there and, most enjoyably, Holmes seems to have opened herself up to a full relationship with him. Of course, since she is incognita as Mrs. Ramsay, it is that much more difficult to pursue said relationship. Mrs. Watson is also present - also in disguise - providing backup, support and a sounding board to Charlotte. We get a minor break from Moriarty (not a total one, as this is a locked-room mystery, not a utopia) and some comic relief from various, and sometimes surprising, sources.

I really enjoy that the author splits the burden of "Watson" amongst various characters: the aptly named Mrs. Watson and Lord Ingram share the greater burden of assistance, although both Mrs. Watson and Ingram are considerably more adept and intelligent than Doyle's Watson, while Charlotte's sister Livia provides the "onlooker" portion of the character: the one to whom the big "reveal" at the end is a surprise. It's a much more organic distribution of character traits; after all, how could an oblivious character be of much help to Holmes? It makes so much more sense that Holmes' 'assistants', as it were, brought a variety of skills and intelligence to the table. Not say that Livia is not intelligent; she just isn't Mrs. Watson, or at least, not yet.

At any rate. This. Was. Awesome.
Strong contender for best book I've read in 2023, although only time will tell. This is one series that is absolutely getting better with age and my only real complaint is now the EVEN LONGER amount of time I will have to wait before getting my greedy fingers on the next one.

Thank you to Berkley publishers for sending me a free copy of Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas is the 7th Lady Sherlock mystery series book. In this installment, Charlotte Holmes, whose alter ego is Sherlock Holmes, takes a job to find a dossier for the crown. This job takes her to the RMS Provence, sailing from England to Port Said in Egypt. While on board and in disguise, a murder takes place that requires the mind of Sherlock Holmes to solve.

My Reading Experience:
How had I never heard of this series? I love Sherlock Holmes stories, Enola Holmes stories, and women empowerment stories. So, a series where Sherlock Holmes is the alter ego of a woman named Charlotte Holmes is the perfect read for me. The fact that I pushed all my other reading aside and picked this book up immediately upon receiving it speaks volumes, as many of you know. And to top it off, I couldn't put it down once I started it, as it was everything I hoped for and more!

I loved the many twists and turns, not to mention the jaw-dropping reveal at the end. I did not see that coming as I was distracted by all the red herrings along the way. I love a clever mystery, which definitely falls into that category.

And lastly, but surely not least, I love that Sherlock Holmes is actually a woman using the alter ego/alias of Sherlock Holmes so that she can do what she does best in a society that wouldn't accept that from a woman. I've never imagined Sherlock Holmes as a woman, and now I can't imagine anything but. I just love that whole idea. It makes me positively giddy!

Characters:
Charlotte Holmes is a shockingly modern woman during a less-than-modern Victorian era. I absolutely fell in love with her cheekiness and wit and couldn't get enough of it. I also admired her determination to do things her own way despite what society thought.
During that era, to rebel like that was huge. Charlotte is brilliant, a master of disguise, and nothing even close to a wilting flower in dangerous situations. I would even conjecture that Charlotte is not the type of woman to ever experience a case of the vapors.

Charlotte Holmes and her many support characters are all very well developed. Still, at the same time, enough is held back to ensure a surprise reveal. I loved how unique each character is, no matter how small their role in the story.

Narration & Pacing:
The pacing is medium to fast, which worked well for me as a reader. I was so immersed and fascinated with it all that I might not have noticed if it had been more slow-paced. And that is very rare for me.

The narration is limited third-person and is tightly focused on Charlotte Holmes for most of the book. It does diverge to her sister Livia (who also happened to be on the ship) for a few chapters throughout, but otherwise, it stays with Charlotte. And it is told in a Holmesian style that is refreshingly easy to read.

Setting:
The setting is the RMS Provence – a ship headed from England to Port Said in Egypt. I enjoyed that it is a locked room mystery on board a vessel which is also a self-contained environment. That's one of my favorite types of mysteries.

It is told superbly with all the believability of an authentic Victorian-age passenger ship. Of course, some suspended disbelief is required of the reader, but I made that leap happily, as I'm sure any reader will.

Read if you like:
Holmesian style mysteries
Locked room mysteries
Women empowerment stories set in Victorian England

A solid new installment in Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series. Set in a closed environment aka a ship going East, Charlotte Holmes must retrieved a secret document in order to protect herself from Moriarty’s threats. The mystery is full of twists and turns with double and triple agents moving pieces. Thomas succeeds in taking parts of classical Holmes canon and making them her own. You start reading and do not want to stop until you get at to the satisfying end.

After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking to recover, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.

Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence, sailing from Southampton for the eastern hemisphere. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder also takes place on the ship.

Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive.

Lady Sherlock #7
Locked room mysteries are some of my favorites and murder at sea is, in many ways, the ultimate locked room. Adding an extra element of danger, Charlotte has to solve the puzzles while pretending to be someone else since Moriarty's henchmen are everywhere. The reappearance of old nemesis, Lord Shrewsbury as well as Charlotte's mother, kept the plot moving and the main characters busy.
Highly recommended to fans of the series.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas is the 7th book in the author’s popular Lady Sherlock series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but reading the series in order will enhance your understanding of the characters.

Story Recap:
Charlotte Holmes is in hiding in order to escape Moriarty’s unwanted attention. Then she gets an assignment to find a dossier for the crown and she boards the RMS Provence to complete the assignment. While on board ship, a brutal murder happens. But, Charlotte is unable to help in the investigation as she’s hiding out and in disguise. She can’t let anyone know that she is still alive and on board the ship.

My Thoughts:
I loved this book. And I’m going to read the entire series and catch up before the next book comes out. The whole Sherlock Holmes is a woman in Victorian England is such a fun take on the traditional stories.

I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout this book as we raced against time to solve the murder. I loved all the twists and turns this story took. Since Charlotte is trapped on the ship, this mystery is similar to a locked room mystery in that everyone on the ship is a suspect and nobody and leave.

The characters are what make this series so special. I love Charlotte, she’s intelligent as well as independent, and her friends are all very special too.


Recommendation:
I highly recommend A Tempest at Sea to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The latest installment of the Charlotte Holmes series is a standout addition to one of the best mystery series currently in publication. The conceit of A Tempest At Sea — namely, that all its subjects are trapped on a ship together — makes the mystery at the center of the story even more tricky than readers have come to expect from author Sherry Thomas. The evolution of the relationships between characters (and not just those of the romantic variety) prove to be particularly satisfying.

his review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Everything at this point is a spoiler for earlier books in the Lady Sherlock series. I would read this series in order because the complexity of the characters and relationships which are just as important as the particular cases. In Miss Moriarty, I Presume? Charlotte ends up faking her death to throw Moriarty off her trail. She has been hiding. She has a chance to be protected by the government but has to locate some information for them.

Somehow everyone and anyone ends up on a sea voyage. Charlotte and Mrs. Watson have their costumes and makeup to be other people, and they are expecting Lord Ingram and his children to be on board, as well as their information targets. But then Charlotte's mother, Mrs. Holmes, and sister, Livia arrive to complicate things, and Roger Shrewsbury and his wife. A wealthy man from Australia, and his sister, the Arkwrights are traveling back to Australia. The Inspector Brighton who was a adversary of Charlotte in the past turns up on board.

Shrewsbury in his usual incompetence, casts aspersions on Miss Arkwright's reputation. Mrs. Holmes also has a tiff with the Arkwrights while boarding. A Mr. Pratt is on board because he keeps wanting to marry Miss Arkwright, although she and her brother are against him. Then there is Mr. Russell who is a business competitor of sorts to Mr. Arkwright. Of course, Mr. Arkwright ends up dead and Inspector Brighton starts investigating.

The investigation is a danger to Ash and Charlotte as it might expose their investigation. So Charlotte must figure out who murdered Mr. Arkwright in addition to her government work. They don't want Brighton messing up either one. Ash takes on the role as assistant to Brighton, taking notes. This allows him to share the details with Charlotte and keep track of Brighton's work. It's a tense and anxious situation for him though.

Charlotte's work and gathering the details are as brilliant as always. I took in the details and was lost until the end when the truth was revealed. The possibilities, motives, plots and lies were intricate. I can't begin to express how well it was detailed and how delightful and horrible the characters were. I love this series and can't recommend it any more highly!

A Tempest at Sea is the seventh installment in the Lady Sherlock series. This captivating historical mystery is a thrilling and engaging storyline. The fast-paced narrative and cleverly crafted prose only add to the allure of this novel, making it an excellent choice for those who prefer historical mysteries with a touch of playfulness.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly March New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

I love a book that takes place at sea. A mystery, even better! The setting is perfect because of the confined space and limited characters.

Charlotte is in disguise most of the time, as she has been for most of the previous books. I miss Charlotte just being herself, however, I realize through this book that Charlotte finds a sort of freedom in her disguises and it's not necessarily much of a burden on her as I'd assumed.

Lord Ingram really steals the show in this book, almost to the point where I'd say that this is HIS book. (Even more than Hollow of Fear, which is funny.) He has to do a lot of the leg work for Charlotte and keep Inspector Brighton from suspecting anyone in their party.

Definitely read the other books in the series first; many characters from previous books show up on this voyage.

I love this take on Sherlock Holmes. The mystery kept me guessing. I like that the characters move forward in their lives. I like the characters and this time we aren't in London so a nice change of scenery. I look forward to more in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Here’s the thing: like Agatha Christie, I could read these books forever. She could continue this series into the 30s, 40s, 50s, and I'd still be here, diving into the world of Charlotte Holmes, Mrs. Watson, Lord Ingram & co.
Like Christie, I have never ONCE gotten the reveal correct (and I love it). I was closest with this one, but SHE STILL GOT ME!!!!!!!
Unlike Christie, I actually care about these characters, their relationships, and their personal development over time (sorry Poirot).

Here’s Sherry Thomas slow burning the HECK out of EVERYONE, whether that’s a romance or learning courage or simply trying to be happy. And so much of that credit goes to Charlotte and Ingram. This is book SEVEN MY GILRIES book SEVEN and Ingram thought he was going to black out and have a cardiovascular incident because Charlotte said she missed him. Sherry Thomas has never budged on Charlotte’s character - their relationship has certainly impacted her, but it didn’t magically ~poof~ make her acceptable to society or even make her behave in “normal” ways within a romantic relationship. And Ingram doesn't expect it to. Chef's kiss.

The last paragraph of this book made me officially obsessed with them, welcome to my favorite couples list you absolute clowns.

Thank you NetGalley and the beautiful humans at Berkley for this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review. I am BEGGING one of you to explain the cover model choice to me. It has clearly never once been Charlotte and it's been a different woman each time. Who?????? Is it supposed to be???????

Step aboard the RMS Provence, and get ready for a thrilling sea voyage, full of secrets, mystery, hidden identities, and a splash of swoony romance!

A Tempest at Sea picks up right where the last book ended, with Charlotte Holmes in hiding after feigning her own death to escape from Moriarty. She has just received a tempting offer from an agent of the crown. The mission is that in exchange for locating a dossier that the crown is searching for, Charlotte will receive protection and the chance to return to a normal life. While searching for the dossier, Charlotte ends up on the same sea voyage as her friends and finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation.

Sherry Thomas’s latest installment in the Lady Sherlock series is masterfully crafted. The murder mystery and all the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.

Since Charlotte can’t risk exposing her identity, she isn't able to conduct an investigation herself and has to work behind the scenes to solve the murder as quickly as possible. As a result, Lord Ingram takes a larger public role in solving this case, and so we get more of his POV. Everyone who follows me on social media probably knows by now that my heart and soul belong completely to Lord Ingram Ashburton.

So it is not surprising how much I loved this book, especially the tender moments that Ash and Charlotte share. I love that they are each growing and changing in subtle ways and understand each other so well. Their romance is progressing very nicely and in a way that makes sense for them and their circumstances. The last line of this book hit me right in the feels.

The entire Lady Sherlock series is phenomenal! With outstanding writing, wonderfully nuanced character development, brilliantly crafted mysteries, and a deliciously slow-burn romance, I highly recommend reading this series. Unfortunately, now there is a magnifying-glass-shaped void in my life. Book eight can’t get here fast enough.

Following the events of Miss Moriarty, I Presume, Charlotte Doyle has spent months in hiding, isolated from her closest allies, even her lover Lord Ingram. Nothing tempts her to risk exposure to Moriarty's numerous spies until Lord Remington offers his protection in exchange for Charlotte performing a service for the crown and retrieving a sensitive item from a possible spy. Remington's protection might actually allow Charlotte to return to normal life, and so she reaches out to her allies and dons a new disguise to board a passenger vessel and hunt a spy. With Lord Ingram, Mrs. Watson, and Lydia aboard, Charlotte has plenty of allies to help achieve her mission, but the presence of a police inspector on board and the unexpected arrival of Lady Holmes throws a wrench into her plans and threatens her exposure. And when one of the passengers is murdered--and Lady Holmes a suspect--Charlotte must discover which of her fellow passengers is a murderer and which an agent of her most sinister enemy.

It might have been difficult to keep momentum up in an enclosed setting, especially after the dramatic finale of Charlotte's previous adventure, but Thomas does so with seeming ease, immediately reestablishing every delightful Lady Sherlock trope--from clandestine meetings between Charlotte and her allies to disguises and hidden identities--within a tightly plotted, Agatha Christie-esque mystery. Fans of the series will not be disappointed! Newcomers, however, will want to begin with book one to fully appreciate the tie-ins from previous Moriarty encounters.

Even though I haven’t read the previous books (though I will be now immediately) it was quite easy to jump into the series. I love love love Charlotte Holmes; such a fascinating and unique character; smart and quirky reminiscent, but not exactly like the original Sherlock. I look forward to going back to the beginning and see more of her origin story and also her personality. 

This is a locked room mystery on a boat which, to me, always makes things even more interesting because there is no where for anyone to hide or escape. The lengths Charlotte goes to are extraordinary and fascinating and I enjoyed every second, especially since as readers we never quite get the full story, but snippets. I enjoyed how this book was written; where we think we have the full story and then we get flashbacks to the night of the murder that make things more and more interesting. The reveal was explosive and I was on the edge of my seat.

This was another fantastic book in this series! After the events of the last one, with Charlotte faking her death, well, the priority was finding a way to be able to come back. And this task given to her, once completed, gets her that. It was such a great story!

The fact that Charlotte is pretending to be someone else, and can't inject herself in the investigation, it's an interesting situation. That Lord Ingram takes himself to the task, that was really great, though that put him in close proximity to the inspector.

Oh, but the reveal of who the bad guy was? I mean, they were on a ship and there were limited suspects, and the way the story was told played around with time. It was still shocking! It came together so well, and I couldn't put it down!

I loved all the developments in this book, with their fight against Moriarty. There was one small but really important development, which I can't wait to see how it's going to play out! And I love where we left Livia, and what's in store for her future!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the earc

This book is number 7 in the series and it was not my favorite. Just stay with me for a second

When you’re write the mystery when someone gets killed in a closed off place, like boar or train, you need that group of characters to be incredibly interesting. Otherwise they just all sound the same and you completely get confused. That what kind of happened here. I felt like the character who got killed off was better written than the killer.

The flashbacks were trying to save the story but weren’t written often enough and got introduced a little too late.

Now to my favorite part. Ash and Holmes. Last book? Loved these two. This one? We had one tiny scene when my heart just stopped and kind of the ending. And I get it. These characters need all the time they need to show their feelings. But one scene???? I’m just happy we left with a hope of something. I need the next book to be all about it.

Overall not as strong as the other books but I will absolutely continue with the series

Exactly what I was looking for from Sherry Thomas, I've loved the Lady Sherlock series from the beginning. Sherlock is always something that I enjoy reading retellings of. It had a great concept and I loved that it continues to be a excellent series. The characters felt like the same characters and they worked in this world. I'm excited to read more from Sherry Thomas and hope the Lady Sherlock series continues.

“No. Even when we were children, he always got up at first light.” Miss Arkwright worried a corner of her handkerchief. “These days he’s up before half past six to read the papers and look through his correspondence—on land, that is. Maybe he allows himself more sleep at sea, but I don’t think so."

I adore this series and for very good reason, it really does have it all. Great mysteries that keep you guessing, romance, the camaraderie between all the wonderful characters, an amazing historical setting, and for fans of the original Sherlock Holmes series, a wonderful twist of the real mastermind and inner workings of who Holmes is. Truly Sherry Thomas knows what she is doing. With fabulous writing, amazing characters, and always an intriguing storyline, this series keeps improving, and I can't recommend it enough.

Is it really any surprise that we loved this book? We're obsessed with the Lady Sherlock series, and A Tempest at Sea worked to move along the overall arc of the series while also presenting a contained mystery. This was especially exciting for us, since (we have to admit) that Moriarty has been getting a little overbearing. Although the Moriarty influence was not missing entirely from this installment of the book, it was not an integral part of the mystery. You see, Charlotte is aboard the RMS Providence incognito. She's searching for information on Moriarty on behalf of Lord Remington Ashburton, Lord Ingram's older brother, who is an agent of the British government and can guarantee her and her friends a measure of safety from Moriarty. However, in the midst of her search (which has plenty of accomplices and arcane hijinks), another passenger is murdered. Charlotte is obviously the best-placed person to discover the killer, but she has to be careful: any misstep will also reveal her secret mission for the crown.

The sea voyage is a perfect opportunity for a closed circle mystery, since the pool of suspects is necessarily limited to the passengers who are aboard. And this cast of characters is like a "Best Of" reunion tour: in addition to Charlotte, Livia, Ingram, and Mrs. Watson, both Mr. and Mrs. Roger Shrewsbury and Lady Holmes make reappearances, plus a featuring role for Inspector Brighton, who first appeared in Murder on Cold Street. Who knew that Roger Shrewsbury, of all possible characters, could provide so much comic relief without losing an ounce of his privileged oafishness?

Sherry Thomas employs her mastery of her craft, especially her use of the flashback scene, keeping the reader in the dark about the timeline of certain events. But we also never lose the simmering tension between Ingram and Charlotte, even when she's disguised as an elderly lady for the majority of the time. The only problem with the book? We're already ready for the next one to come out.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.